The Scots Language: From Inglis to Erse and Back Again

It's a language, not a dialect — and it's been shaped by centuries of war, politics, and cultural pride. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of Scots, the Germanic language that once rivaled English in Scotland's royal court. They trace its origins from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria through the Wars of Independence, when speaking Scots became a marker of national identity against English domination. They examine how Scots poets like Robert Burns and makars like William Dunbar elevated the vernacular, and how the Union of 1707 and the later spread of standard English pushed Scots into the margins. Along the way, they unpack terms like 'Inglis' and 'Erse', the role of the Scottish Reformation in suppressing Gaelic, and modern revival efforts like the 2015 Scots Language Policy. A conversation about politics, poetry, and what it means to have a voice of your own. #ScotsLanguage #HistoryOfScotland #RobertBurns #ScotsLeid #ScotsIndependent #WilliamDunbar #UnionOf1707 #ScottishReformation #Gaelic #InglisAndErse #NorthumbrianOldEnglish #BarbourAndHenryson #TheBrüs #Makars #ScotsPoetry #LanguageRevival #ScottishIdentity #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo